Handrail



Feb. 28, E967 L.. BLUM ETAL,

HANDRAIL Filed Sept. l, 1964 EIGL 11614' INVENTOR- ggif wi?! MQW" United States Patent O a irm Filed Sept. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 393,655 Claims. (Cl. 287-189.36)

This invention relates generally to 'handrails and particularly to improvements in handrails and supporting structures therefor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a handrail and supporting structure Which may be assembled so as to effectively compensate, within limits, for a departure of the supporting structure from a desired position.

Another object is to provide such a handrail and supporting structure which may be assembled so that the handrail is tilted to one side or the other relative to the `supporting structure.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent when the following description is read with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation of the handrail and supporting structure constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the handrail and supporting structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but shows the handrail tilted to one side;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 but shows the handrail tilted to the opposite side;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the encircled area V in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the encircled area VI in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the handrail, with part cut away and sectioned, and of the support brackets, showing a stage in the assembly thereof.

The following description is directed to the specific form of the invention shown in the drawing and is not intended to be addressed to the scope of the invention, which may be practiced in a variety of forms.

Referring to the drawing, the handrail, generally designated 10, is a channel member of inverted U-shape in transverse section. It has an upper surface area 12 which is convex upwardly and opposite side areas 14 which are convex outwardly. The underside of the handrail is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 16. On opposite sides of the slot 16, the undersurface areas of the handrail, designated 18, are convex downwardly. The opposed walls of the slots, designated 20, are provided with a series of longitudinally extending parallel serrations 22.

The structure for supporting the handrail, generally designated 28, comprises a two part bracket, the parts 30 of which are disposed back to back. Each bracket part 30 includes an upright leg 32 and a laterally extending leg 34. The laterally extending leg 34 is provided with a series of longitudinally extending parallel serrations 36.

The bracket parts 30 are connected to a post 46 by means of a suitable coupling assembly 40 including a pin projected through openings 42 in the brackets and fitted with a cap nut 44.

In the use of the handrail, the post 46 and coupling assembly 40 are erected as close to the desired position as possible. Then the distance from the center of the coupling assembly 40 to the desired elevation of handrail 10 is determined. The departure of the coupling assembly 40 from the elevation required to properly position the handrail determined which serrations 22 should be engaged with serrations 36. Referring particularly to FIG. 7, the bracket parts 30 are inserted into longitudinally spaced portions of the slot 16, as shown, with the 3,306,641 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 ice serrations 36 engaging the desired serrations 22. Then the brackets are shifted longitudinally of the handrail until they are positioned back to back. The handrail and the brackets are now moved sideways so that the pin of the coupling assembly 40 is projected through the openings 42 in the brackets, whereupon the nut 44 is threaded upon the pin.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the handrail may not `only be erected at various elevations by engaging the serrations 36 with selected serrations 22, but may be tilted to one side or the other relative to the brackets, as, for example, when the handrail is for a curved stairway. Thus the handrail may be fully oriented, i.e., raised or lowered and tilted to either side, relative to the brackets.

What is claimed is:

1. In a handrail and supporting structure therefor, the combination comprising a handrail uniform in transverse section and having a longitudinally extending slot with parallel opposite side walls in the undersurface thereof, a support bracket including two separable parts disposed back to back with their upper end portions in said slot and respectively adjacent the opposite side Walls of said slot, longitudinally extending serrations on both side walls of the slot, and serrations on the remote faces of the bracket parts selectively interengaged with opposed ones of the serrations on the side walls of the slot whereby to support said railing without tilting the same to one side, and selectively interengageable with positionally oifset serrations respectively on the side walls of the slot Whereby to tilt said railing to one side.

2. The combination according to claim 18 wherein the Width of the slot is substantially greater than the depth of the serrated faces of the bracket parts.

3. In a handrail and supporting structure therefor, the combination comprising a handrail in the form of a channel member including a web interconnecting a pair of laterally spaced flanges depending from said web, the opposed Walls of the flanges being parallel and provided with longitudinally extending serrations, bracket means extending upwardly between said flanges, the remote faces of the bracket means being provided with serrations selectively interengageable with the serrations respectively on said opposed walls of the flanges whereby to support said railing without tilting the same to one side, and selectively interengageable with serrations respectively on said opposed `walls of the flanges and positionally offset in the direction of the depth of said flanges whereby to tilt said handrail to either side selectively.

4. The combination according to claim 20 wherein the distance between the ilanges is substantially greater than the depth of the serrated remote faces of the bracket means.

5. The combination according to claim 21 wherein the bracket means includes two separable parts disposed back to back and conjointly forming a bracket which is T-shaped in transverse section, and the surfaces at the opposite ends of the head of said T-shaped bracket are serrated for interlocking with the serrations on said opposed walls of the flanges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,751 l/1928 Oishei 24S- 274 X 2,846,250 8/1958 Davis 189-36 X 2,904,314 9/1959 Thorn 256-65 2,924,089 2/ 1960 Reiland.

2,941,591 6/1960 Meyer 248-251 X 2,963,275 12/1960 Meyers 256-65 X REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

D. L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A HANDRAIL AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE THEREFOR, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A HANDRAIL UNIFORM IN TRANSVERSE SECTION AND HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT WITH PARALLEL OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS IN THE UNDERSURFACE THEREOF, A SUPPORT BRACKET INCLUDING TWO SEPARABLE PARTS DISPOSED BACK TO BACK WITH THEIR UPPER END PORTIONS IN SAID SLOT AND RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS OF SAID SLOT, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SERRATIONS ON BOTH SIDE WALLS OF THE SLOT, AND SERRATIONS ON THE REMOTE FACES OF THE BRACKET PARTS SELECTIVELY INTERENGAGED WITH OPPOSED ONES OF THE SERRATIONS ON THE SIDE WALLS OF THE SLOT WHEREBY TO SUPPORT SAID RAILING WITHOUT TILTING THE SAME TO ONE SIDE, AND SELECTIVELY INTERENGAGEABLE WITH POSITIONALLY OFFSET SERRATIONS RESPECTIVELY ON THE SIDE WALLS OF THE SLOT WHEREBY TO TILT SAID RAILING TO ONE SIDE. 